Fox News reports that yesterday (8/14/2024), the Taliban commemorated the third anniversary of the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan by parading abandoned U.S. military equipment through the former U.S. Bagram Airfield, which was once the center of America’s war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaeda militants responsible for 9/11.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to pull troops from Afghanistan faced widespread global backlash after Taliban insurgents retook the country in a matter of days, on August 15, 2021 – 20 years after their ouster by the United States military and allied forces. Just a month earlier, President Biden told Americans that the likelihood of a Taliban takeover was “highly unlikely.”
Despite the Taliban’s grandiose showing of their capabilities during the parade, there was no mention of a plan to improve the lives of the Afghan people. Decades of conflict and instability have left millions of Afghans on the brink of hunger and starvation, with high unemployment and women being banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade.
The Fox News report may be read HERE.
Sky News Australia has posted a video about the Taliban’s parading of United States military equipment on YouTube:
My brothers and sisters, as a U.S. veteran, I take great exception to the manner in which the war on terror based in Afghanistan was ‘resolved.’ Over a period of many years, American military members served faithfully and many lost their health and suffered grievous bodily and mental harm, with many losing their lives for the cause of freedom and protecting the homeland.
The manner in which the Biden administration chose to depart Afghanistan was shameful, at the least, bringing into question the need for U.S. military intervention at all and whether the U.S. has competent leadership of its military – from the commander-in-chief on down.
Is walking away from all that was gained by giving the enemy millions of dollars of our military equipment and essentially negating years of sacrifice made by American and allied military forces – many of whom died or suffered grievous bodily harm – an acceptable manner in which to end a war? I hope that none would answer this rhetorical question in the affirmative.
Wisdom is incredibly important in all that we do, as the evil one (Satan) prowls like a roaring lion to see whom he may devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). Only the wisdom of God (see 1 Corinthians 3:19) will prevail in the end, and it is all the more important in matters of war.
As believers, we should never forget to pray for our governmental leaders and all of the military members made ill or maimed, and the family members of those military members who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country – regardless of political views (see Philippians 4:6 and 1 Timothy 2:1-3). Let’s pray that the wisdom of God will guide the decisions of our governmental leaders (current and future), and that Americans will remember, with an upcoming General Election this fall, that the U.S. president is not merely the head of the Executive Branch of federal government, but that he or she is the commander-in-chief of our military.
Here are the above-referenced scriptures:
1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
1 Corinthians 3:19 (NLT)
“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, ‘He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.’”
Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God…”.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (ESV)
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior…”.
